Daud Yordan: "I live, eat, breathe, sleep boxing"

Experience counts for an awful lot in boxing; just ask Daud Cino Yordan. The world-rated featherweight (number nine in the WBA and number eight in the IBF) has been boxing professionally since he was 17 year old. He’s now 25 and more mature having taken on the likes of Robert Guerrero (NC 2), Celestino Caballero (L UD 12) and Chris John (L UD 12). Though the latter two were relatively wide points losses, those experiences helped improve Yordan as a fighter. Last time out, the Indonesian, whose ledger currently sits at 29-2 (23) with one no contest, faced fellow puncher Lorenzo Villanueva who was unbeaten going in. But after touching down in the opening stanza, Yordan battled back, twice dropping Villanueva in the second to score a career-best win. The win vaulted Yordan into the thick of things at 126 as well as various sanctioning bodies’ ratings (Yordan also recently entered The Ring magazine’s featherweight ratings at 10). He’ll be in action this Friday in chief support to Chris John when he meets Choi Tseveenpurev at the Marina Bay Sands Hotel in Singapore.

Anson Wainwright – Firstly, you return to action on 9th November when you fight in Singapore. Could you tell us who you’re facing and what we can expect from you in this fight?

Daud Yordan - I will be facing Choi “The Mongolian Terminator” Tseveenpurev. You can expect a nitro explosion in this fight. He won’t need to look for me. I have one style; every punch I throw will have “knockout” written all it. That’s what the fans want and that’s what I bring to the ring. Come November 9th, I will knock him out.

AW -Though you don’t want to look past your next fight, could you tell us about hopes and goals for next year?

DY - I plan on defending my IBO world title for a long time to come and next year, me and my promoter, Dragon Fire, will burn all the competition.

AW -In your last fight, you scored a very impressive second round knockout over Lorenzo Villanueva. Could you tell us about that fight including the knockdown you received?

DY - It was a dream come true; my whole life, I’ve trained to become a world champion and there was no way I was going to let a knockdown stop my dream from becoming a reality.

AW -Who are the key members of your team? Also where do you train in Australia and back in Indonesia?

DY - I am promoted and managed by Dragon Fire, the biggest boxing promoter in Asia, led by Raja Sapta Oktohari from Indonesia and by Angelo Hyder from Australia. My brother, Damianus, is my trainer and I train at the Dragon Fire gyms in Australia and Indonesia.

AW -You’ve a few fought world champions including Celestino Caballero, though he stepped up in weight to meet you. Can you tell us about that fight and how it has helped you improve?

DY - I took that fight on very short notice; it was my own fault. Caballero was a very good boxer and I give him credit but I didn’t have the right preparation and it was too early in my career. He had 10 years of experience. My body was still getting used to the time difference from Indonesia to America.

AW -You also fought Chris John. I think it was the first time two Indonesians had fought for a world title. He is also very popular in your homeland. Can you tell us about that experience and how you found fighting someone like John?

DY - It was the first time ever two Indonesians fought for a world title. Chris is a national hero in my country like the Manny Pacquiao of Indonesia but we have 240 million people here. He is well respected and a good man. I learned many things that night that I will have with me for the rest of my career. It was a very tough and close fight. I needed more experience with better quality fighters but it’s hard to get experience when you knock out most of your opponents and then you fight Caballero or Chris John who have much more experience over 12 rounds. I must learn from these fights and these fighters to better myself and I have.

AW -The featherweight division is a very strong division. What do you think of some of the champions, the WBC’s Daniel Ponce de Leon, the IBF’s Billy Dib and the WBO’s Orlando Salido?

DY - They are all good champions and should all be respected and I’m happy to fight who ever Dragon Fire gives me.

AW -Could you tell us about your younger days growing up in Ketapang?

DY - Growing up with a brother who was a boxer, he inspired me to be a better boxer with how hard he trained. I have loved training since I was small; the harder you train in the gym, the easier the fight. Where I come from is the jungles of Indonesia; we have many wild animals. It is a dangerous and beautiful place.

AW -How did you first become interested and then take up boxing?

DY - My older brother, Damianus, was already a boxer and now my younger brother is a boxer too. It must be in our blood.

AW -Away from boxing, how do you enjoy spending time?

DY - I live, eat, breathe, sleep boxing. Boxing is all I think about.

AW -Who is your boxing hero and why?

DY - Miguel Cotto is my boxing hero because he has the heart of a lion and a “Never say die” attitude. He is a warrior in the ring and a gentleman outside the ring.